British embassy villa memorial park

The British Embassy Villa Memorial Park is a garden where you can enjoy the abundant nature on the shores of Lake Chuzenji and experience the history of the area as an international summer resort.

The buildings within the ground are reconstructions of the personal summer house built in 1896 for Sir Ernest Mason Satow, a British diplomat who exerted a significant influence on the Meiji revolution, and was used for many years afterwards as the official British Embassy Villa.

The main building showcases the history of the area as an international summer resort, the verdant nature of Oku-Nikko, the reasons Sir Ernest chose the site for his house, and the characteristics of the building.

On the second floor, you can drink with the view of Lake Chuzenji loved by Sir Ernest which he described as “as beautiful as a painting.” Here you can experience the culture of the international summer villas that flourished on the shores of the lake, and in the Minami 4-ban Classic tea rooms you can have an afternoon tea and scone set approved by the current British ambassador to Japan. This is perfect for enjoying with the view from the second floor.

We are located a 30-minute walk from the Chuzenji-onsen bus stop for buses departing from Nikko station.